Nexus RACE BOX Operating instructions

Brand: Nexus

Model: RACE BOX

Type: Operating instructions

Installation and Operation Manual

RACE BOX

English

RaceBox English

English RaceBox

Edition: Mar 2012

This manual is written for Nexus RaceBox 1.00

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1! Part specification ................................................................................................... 5!

2! Overview ................................................................................................................. 6!

2.1! Calculated Data .................................................................................................................. 7!

3! Installation .............................................................................................................. 8!

3.1! Mounting ............................................................................................................................. 8!

3.2! Serial / FDX Cable .............................................................................................................. 9!

3.3! Pushbutton ......................................................................................................................... 9!

3.4! Buzzer ................................................................................................................................ 9!

3.5! Software Configuration ..................................................................................................... 10!

3.6! Polar File .......................................................................................................................... 10!

3.7! Configuration File ............................................................................................................. 11!

3.8! Startup .............................................................................................................................. 11!

3.9! Shutdown ......................................................................................................................... 12!

4! Race Box Features and Their Use ...................................................................... 12!

4.1! Data Logging .................................................................................................................... 12!

4.2! NXB Log ........................................................................................................................... 13!

4.3! CSV Log ........................................................................................................................... 13!

4.4! Target & Polar Boat Speed .............................................................................................. 14!

4.4.1! Polar File .................................................................................................... 15!

4.4.2! Choosing Whether TBS or PBS is Sent to the Nexus Network .................. 15!

4.4.3! Displaying TBS and PBS in Other Fields ................................................... 16!

4.5! Set Steer Memory ............................................................................................................ 17!

4.6! Man Overboard (MOB) ..................................................................................................... 17!

4.7! Start Line Tactical Assistance .......................................................................................... 17!

4.8! In Sequence Data vs Out Of Sequence Data .................................................................. 18!

4.9! Configuring which data is sent to which fields .................................................................. 18!

4.10! Using the Race Box timer ............................................................................................... 20!

4.10.1! Starting the timer ...................................................................................... 20!

4.10.2! Syncing the timer ..................................................................................... 20!

5! Interpreting the data. What does it all mean? .................................................... 22!

5.1! How does the Race Box choose its target? ..................................................................... 22!

5.2! How does the Race Box choose the path to the target? .................................................. 23!

5.3! Distance and time to line calculations .............................................................................. 23!

5.4! Perpendicular Mode ......................................................................................................... 24!

5.4.1! Starting examples ...................................................................................... 24!

5.4.2! Reach in, reach out start ............................................................................ 24!

5.4.3! The Vanderbilt start .................................................................................... 24!

5.4.4! Other starting strategies ............................................................................. 25!

5.4.5! Connecting a GPS Receiver ...................................................................... 25!

5.5! Other Configuration Options ............................................................................................. 26!

5.5.1! Bow Location and Boat Length .................................................................. 26!

5.5.2! Position Data Source ................................................................................. 26!

5.6! Status Lights ..................................................................................................................... 27!

5.7! Data Damping .................................................................................................................. 27!

5.8! Error Conditions ............................................................................................................... 28!

6! AVAILABLE DATA FIELDS .................................................................................. 28!

6.1.1! BIAS – Starting line bias ............................................................................ 28!

6.1.2! PBS - Polar Boat Speed ............................................................................. 28!

6.1.3! TBS - Target Boat Speed ........................................................................... 29!

6.1.4! TTL - Time to start line in seconds ............................................................. 29!

6.1.5! TTB - Time to Burn ..................................................................................... 29!

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6.1.6! MTL - Meters to start line ........................................................................... 29!

6.1.7! FTL - Feet to start line ............................................................................... 29!

6.1.8! BL - Boat Lengths to start line ................................................................... 29!

6.1.9! OPT_A - The optimum apparent wind angle ............................................. 30!

6.1.10! OPT_T – The optimum true wind angle .................................................. 30!

7! Specifications ....................................................................................................... 39!

7.1! Technical specifications Compss Instrument ................................................................... 39!

8! Warranty ................................................................................................................ 39!

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1 Part specification

___________________________________________________________

Items delivered with the Race Box

Qty Description

1 The Race Box

1 push button

1 buzzer

1 DB9 male to DB9 female serial cable

1 power cable

1 SD memory card

4 Mounting screws

1 This manual

Registering this product

Once you have checked that you have all the listed parts, please take time to fill in the

warranty document and return it to your national distributor.

By returning the warranty card, it will assist your distributor to give you prompt and

expert attention. Keep your proof of purchase. Your details will also be added to our

customer database so that you automatically receive new product catalogues when

they are released.

Warranty conditions see 8.

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2 Overview

Thank you for purchasing the Nexus Race Box!

The Nexus Race Box is a great addition to any Nexus instrument system with an FDX

server. Our Race Box can calculate both polar and target boat speed (PBS & TBS), log

your instrument data in both Nexus native binary NXB format and comma separated

values (CSV) format and assist your tactician in making the best start possible. From

time to time, firmware upgrades will be released for the Race Box, and these can easily

be installed. Instructions for upgrading the firmware will be provided with each update.

Information generated by the Race Box is sent to Nexus instruments in accordance with

the Race Box configuration. This will be discussed in detail later in this manual, but in

general, you can send Race Box data to any NX2 or NXR instruments. This includes

the NX2 Multi, the Multi XL, the NXR Multi and the larger NXR instruments.

The Race Box is powered by 12 volts DC, just as the Nexus server is. A standard, DB9

male to DB9 female straight through serial cable connects the Race Box to the Server

data port.

To get the most out of your Race Box, you'll want to have a Nexus buzzer installed on

your FDX server and a Nexus push button connected to the Race Box. The Race Box

will provide the SET STEER and MOB functions you're used to, so you won't need an

additional button. In fact, with the Race Box, all these functions and more are controlled

with a single button. You can reuse the button that is currently connected to your server

if you have one.

The Race Box requires that a standard SD memory card be installed. This card will

have your polar table and your configuration file, both of which are read when the Race

Box starts up. Your log files will also be stored on this card. After your racing, you can

easily remove the card and use any computer with an SD card reader to review your

data.

The Race Box has four, full duplex RS-422 connections for communication with NMEA

0183 and other devices. Future firmware updates will allow the connection of some

peripherals to these connectors. In the initial release, you can connect a NMEA 0183

GPS receiver to the Race Box. The Race Box will accept the RMC sentence up to 5

times per second, for high speed position, COG and COG updates.

The Race Box also has three colored lights which can be seen through the translucent

case. These lights, referred to as the “status lights” or “status LEDs,” will be explained

in detail later in this manual.

Finally, the Race Box has connections for MOB, SET STEER and a buzzer. These are

for future use and currently are left unconnected.

How does it do all that?

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Fundamentally, all the Race Box does is accept data from the Nexus server, do some

processing on it and then sends the results to the Nexus server to be published on the

Nexus network. For the most part, this data is just displayed to the crew. In Classic and

NX2 series instruments, three special data fields exist which can hold calculated data.

These are TBS, CAD and CFD. TBS is a special field, and it is used only for speed

targets (more on this later). The NXR series supports these and ten additional fields,

referred to as CUSTOM0 through CUSTOM9. With the Race Box, the crew can

configure what information gets sent to each of these fields, within certain limitations.

For example, if the Race Box is calculating “time to line (TTL),” we have to tell it which

field to display this information in. If we have only NX2 instruments, then the choices

are CAD and CFD. With the NXR, we have ten additional choices.

So the primary method of giving the crew data while sailing is simply displaying the data

on the instruments. There are logs kept which can be viewed after you're done sailing.

The status lights also offer some information.

Once connected, data is received into the Race Box from the Nexus server. This is

done automatically. Also, there is a button that is used to control the Race Box and also

the Nexus server. This is used to tell the Race Box where the starting line begins and

ends, as well as to control some other features.

Like any computer, the not-so-old saying applies: Garbage in, garbage out. To get the

best information from the Race Box requires that your Nexus system be well calibrated

and that the crew understand how it works and what the numbers it is presenting mean.

This manual will explain all that for you and, if you have questions, you can contact

Nexus support.

2.1 Calculated Data

For a list of data fields that the Race Box can calculate, please refer to Appendix 'A'.

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3 Installation

• The installation includes 5 major steps:

1. Read the installation and operation manual.

2. Plan where to install the RaceBox.

3. Run the cables.

4. Install the RaceBox.

5. Learn the functions and setting up your system.

Before you begin drilling ... think about how you can make the installation as neat

and simple as your boat will allow. Plan where to position the transducer and

instrument. Think about leaving space for additional instruments in the future.

• A few ”do nots” you should consider:

− Do not cut the cables too short. Allow extra cable length at the RaceBox so

it can be disconnected for inspection without having to disconnect all

attached cables.

− Do not run cables in the bilge, where water can appear.

− Do not run cables close to fluorescent light sources, engine or radio

transmitting equipment to avoid electrical disturbances.

− Do not rush, take your time. A neat installation is easy to accomplish.

• The following material is needed:

Wire cutters and strippers.

Small and large Philips and a small flat head screw driver.

Hole saw to cut a hole for the instrument back of 63 mm (2½").

2.8mm drill for the RaceBox mounting screws

Plastic cable ties

If you are doubtful about the installation, obtain the services of an experienced

technician.

Installation

3.1 Mounting

First, find a suitable mounting location for the Race Box. Any location suitable for the

Nexus Server should serve equally well for the Race Box. You will notice that, just like

the Nexus server, the Race Box only has openings on one side. Also like the server, the

Race Box should be mounted so that it's bottom is against a vertical surface and the

side with the wire openings is oriented downward. This is so that any water which may

inadvertently splash on to the box is more likely to run off the box instead of into it. The

Race Box need not be mounted in close proximity to the server if this is your

preference, as long as you can connect a serial cable between the Race Box and the

Server.

Once you have located a suitable mounting location, use the four supplied mounting

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screws to mount the Race Box. You will beed to remove the outer lid to expose the

mounting holes. Once the Race Box is mounted, leave the outer lid removed until the

installation procedure is complete.

12VDC Power

Next, hook up power leads to the Race Box. The Race Box is powered by 12 Volts DC

and requires as much as approximately 0.17 amperes of current under certain

conditions (but typically uses much less). Please see the diagram in figure yyy to locate

the 12VDC connection terminal. You may connect the Race Box to the same power

switch/breaker as your Nexus server if you like. However, if you think you will want to

change your polar table during a day of racing without having to reset the rest of your

Nexus instrument system, then you will want to provide the Race Box with a dedicated

switch.

3.2 Serial / FDX Cable

The next step is to connect the supplied serial cable between the Nexus Server and the

Race Box. Be sure to tighten the thumb screws on the cable so that neither end falls out

while sailing. If the supplied cable does not reach, you can use any standard DB9 male

to DB9 female “straight through” cable such as can be bought at any computer store

and many other stores.

3.3 Pushbutton

Connecting a push button to the Race Box is optional, but if you do not connect one you

will not be able to use the timer and start line tactical functions of the Race Box.

We have supplied a weatherproof push button, but any normally open type push button

can be used. To connect the button, please refer to the diagram in figure yyy to locate

the proper screw terminals. When tightening the screws, please be careful not to over

tighten. Just make the connection finger tight, then verify that a firm tug on the wire

does not pull it from the terminal. If a firm tug does cause the wire to pull out, then

reconnect a bit more tightly.

If you are connecting your button to the Race Box only, then it does not matter which

side of the button is connected to which screw terminal. However, if your button is also

connected to an instrument such as a steer pilot, be sure that the button wire that is

connected to the ground side of your instrument is also connected to the ground

(negative) button terminal on your Race Box. Ideally, the button should be connected

only to the Race Box.

3.4 Buzzer

We strongly recommend that when the start line timing features of the Race Box are

used, that you have a loud buzzer installed on your Nexus Server. The buzzer is used

to generate an audio conformation that certain commands to the Race Box were

accepted correctly.

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Please refer to your Nexus Server manual for instructions on how to select and connect

a buzzer.

Done

You have now completed the hookup. Replace the outer lid and your installation is

complete.

3.5 Software Configuration

The Nexus Race Box is essentially a special purpose computer designed specifically to

interface with the Nexus instrument system. Because it is very feature rich and

powerful, it requires a bit more configuration than other Nexus products do. Don't worry

though, we will address everything you need to know both in this manual and on our

web site. You'll have your race box humming along in no time.

The Race Box accepts a standard SD memory card. This memory card can be written

to and read from using a standard personal computer running Windows or Linux and

also by a Mac. Many computers have a slot for reading SD cards already, but if your

computer does not you will need an SD card reader which plugs into your computers

USB port. These are available at many computer stores and also online. Reading files

from and writing files to this card is done exactly as you would read from or write to your

hard disk drive, your USB thumb drive and other similar memory peripherals.

3.6 Polar File

If you want the Race Box to generate either Target Boat Speed (TBS), Polar Boat

Speed (PBS) or both, you'll need to put your polar file on to the SD card. The difference

between PBS and TBS will be discussed later in this manual.

The polar file used by the Race Box uses the Nexus NXP polar format. This is the same

format used by the Nexus Race Software. Your polar files are typically supplied in a

number of formats, including NXP. If you bought your polar files from US Sailing, for

example, then you have them in NXP format. If you have your polar data in some other

format, please refer to Appendix 'D' for a description of the Nexus NXP polar format.

Polar files are just text data and you can easily edit another format to match NXP format

using a text editor such as Windows Notepad.

If you don't already have a polar file for your boat or if a polar file is not available, you

can make your own using log data from the Race Box. There are several web sites

dedicated to how to make polar files, and a little searching on the Internet will find a

wealth of information on making polar files.

Once you have your polar file ready, copy it to the SD card. You can name your polar

file whatever you like, but it must end in .NXP in order for the Race Box to recognize it.

Don't put more than one polar file on the card. The Race Box will use whichever it finds

first and you won't know which one it is using. If you have different polar files, perhaps

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for spinnaker and non-spinnaker racing, then store each polar file on a different SD

card. The easiest way to switch from one to the other will be to replace the SD card.

3.7 Configuration File

The Race Box has many different options and therefore requires a detailed

configuration file. Please refer to Appendix 'B' for a sample file. A default file was

included on your SD card. So that the Race Box can find it, the name of the

configuration file must be:

RP4N.CFG

The configuration file is a text file and the file name is not case sensitive. You can edit it

with a text file editor, such as notepad on Windows or TextEdit on a Mac, however you

should not edit it with a word processing program such as Microsoft Word. If you do

choose to edit it with a word processing program, be careful to make sure the file is

saved as a text file only. Do not save it in any other format, including RTF (rich text

format).

Each part of the configuration file will be explained as the features it controls are

discussed.

Finally, its very important to remember that you can not remove the SD card while the

Race Box is running, edit the config file, and replace it. The configuration file is only

read when the race box starts up. More important, removing the SD card while the

Race Box is running can corrupt the card's file system, erasing your data and possibly

even rendering the card completely unusable.

3.8 Startup

We're sure you anxious to get your Race Box to do something, so let's turn it on! Before

you power it up, put your polar file and a configuration file on to the SD card. If you do

not have a polar file, then use the default one supplied with the Race Box. With the

Race Box switched off, put the SD card in to the Race Box.

You can now power up your Race Box and Server. It is not important which is turned on

first. You may start the Server first, the Race Box first or both of them together.

Assuming everything is connected and installed correctly, you'll see the blue data light

on the Race Box come on. It will remain lit solid until the Server is powered on. As soon

as it begins getting data from the Server, it will be begin to flash steadily. Approximately

10 seconds later, it should begin flashing more rapidly and irregularly. This indicates

that the Race Box has successfully switched the Server into FDX mode and

communications are underway.

Occasionally, the Race Box will fail to switch the Server into FDX mode on the first try.

In this case, you will see the red error light come on briefly while the Race Box tries

again. Soon, the red light will go out and the blue data light will begin its irregular

flickering.

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Any time you see the blue data light flickering irregularly, you know that the Race Box

and the Server are communicating in FDX, and things are working correctly.

If you have not disabled logging in the configuration file, the Race Box has now opened

two log files. You can view these using a computer.

3.9 Shutdown

Shutdown procedure for the Race Box is easy enough. Just turn it off by removing

power to it. However, there is one very important caveat. Just as with a PC or Mac, an

SD card can not simply be removed from its socket. You must first “eject” it. On the

Race Box, we “eject it” by just turning off the Race Box. It is very important that you

never remove the SD card from the Race Box without first shutting down. If you do, it is

possible that you will corrupt the data on the SD card, rendering it corrupted and

possibly completely unusable.

After you shut off power to the Race Box, wait for all the lights (including the orange

power light) to be completely off before removing the SD card or restarting the Race

Box. The Race Box will not restart until it has completely powered down.

4 Race Box Features and Their Use

4.1 Data Logging

The simplest feature to use on the Race Box is data logging. The Race Box creates two

different types of logs. The first is the NXB log and the second is the CSV log. If you

have configured the race box to create either type of file, the Race Box will create the

log file each time it is turned on. The files will be named in sequence. The first log file

on the memory card will be named like this:

RACE_AAA.NXB

RACE_AAA.CSV

As you can see, each log file has an extension (the three character ending of the name)

which indicates what type of file it is. The log file names are selected in sequence.

Therefore, the next time the Race Box is started, it will see the files it already created

and create a new name, like this:

RACE_AAB.NXB

RACE_AAB.CSV

After that, they will be:

RACE_AAC.NXB

RACE_AAC.CSV

And so on until you get to ZZZ. At this point, you will have to erase some log files to

make room for more.

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4.2 NXB Log

The NXB log file is the Nexus native binary log in NXB format. This log is identical to the

logs generated by the Nexus Race software. In fact, you can transfer this log to a

computer and play back the sailing session in the race software. The race software will

work identically to how it would work if you had recorded the log using it in the first

place.

You can enable or disable this log by changing a setting in the config file. To enable this

log, ensure that the following line is in the Race Box configuration file:

NXB_LOG_FILE=ON

If you prefer that this log not be generated, then change the above line to:

NXB_LOG_FILE=OFF

4.3 CSV Log

The CSV log is a log of the data recorded, but not in binary form. This log is text data,

where each different field of text is separated by a comma. This is commonly referred to

as “comma separated values.” You can very easily import this data into another

program for analysis. Many programs, including small database programs, and

spreadsheets such as Excel or Open Office, are readily able to import this data.

Once its read in, you can perform any analysis you like. For example, you may wish to

use a spread sheet to create a chart which plots both target boat speed (TBS) and boat

speed (speed through water – STW) to see how well your crew maintained the correct

target boat speed. You may also wish to chart the true wind direction (TWD) to see

what type of shifts you experienced.

You can enable or disable this log by changing a setting in the config file. To enable this

log, ensure that the following line is in the Race Box configuration file:

CSV_LOG_FILE=ON

If you prefer that this log not be generated, then change the above line to:

CSV_LOG_FILE=OFF

In the case of the CSV file, you can control how frequently the Race Box adds a line of

data. The fastest logging rate is 5 seconds. You can set it to another value, such as 10

seconds, like this:

CSV_LOG_INTERVAL=10

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4.4 Target & Polar Boat Speed

The Race Box can calculate and present either Target Boat Speed (TBS), Polar Boat

Speed (PBS) or both.

Whats the Difference?

When a boat is sailing upwind, it can sail higher (decreasing its true wind angle) and

shortening the distance it needs to sail, but this causes it to sail more slowly, increasing

its travel time. Conversely, it can sail lower (increasing its true wind angle) which will

increase the distance the boat needs to sail but increase its speed. For any given True

Wind Speed (TWS), somewhere between zero degrees True Wind Angle (TWA) and 90

degrees TWA there is a sweet spot; a perfect TWA which is the optimum balance of

boat speed and distance.

This is also true downwind. Of course, all sail boats can sail with the wind exactly

behind them, dead down wind. But for almost all boats, its faster to gybe back and forth,

since your boat can reach faster than it sails down wind, even though this increases the

distance you need to sail. When sailing downwind, somewhere between 90 degrees

TWA and 180 degrees TWA, there is a TWA that produces the optimum combination of

boat speed and distance.

For any given true wind speed (TWS), these optimum TWAs change. When sailing at

the optimum TWA, your boat is traveling at a particular boat speed. This boat speed is

known as the Target Boat Speed (TBS). If you're actual boat speed is faster than your

target, you may want to head up to slow down but shorten your distance. If its slower,

you may want to head down to increase your distance but speed up.

If you choose to have the Race Box send Target Boat Speed to the Nexus TBS field

(more on this later), the Race Box will send the optimum TBS for the current wind

velocity. This means that if your TWA is less than 90 degrees (that is, you're sailing

upwind), the Race Box will send the upwind target that corresponds with the current

wind velocity. If your TWA is lower than 90 degrees, the optimum down wind TBS is

sent to the Nexus server.

Polar Boat Speed (PBS) is a simple concept. It is the speed at which your boat should

be traveling through the water given the current wind velocity and TWA. If you chose to

have PBS sent to the TBS field, The Race Box will send the speed at which your polar

table predicts you will be traveling given the existing TWA and TWS, even if the TWA is

above or below the optimum angle for these conditions.

Which one is better to use is a always a matter of an opinion and usually depends on a

variety of factors. Many people prefer to use TBS when racing a windward / leeward

course, while other courses may command PBS. Some drivers prefer to just write the

targets out on to the deck and send PBS to the instruments. There is no right or wrong

way to do it. You'll have to choose based upon your preferences.

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4.4.1 Polar File

To do this, the Race Box needs a “polar file.” A polar file is a list of boat speeds and

wind angles. These files can be generated by computer programs which know about a

boats hull shape, weight, rig dimensions and other factors. If you want to purchase a

polar file for your boat, contact US Sailing. There are also a lot of polar tables on

www.blur.se. Or, a polar file can be created by recording data about how a boat actually

performs at a variety of wind speeds and angles. The Race Box logs are a great way to

record this information.

Your polar file must be put on the Race Box SD card. As mentioned earlier, the polar

file should be in standard Nexus polar file format. The file name must end in .NXP and

the file must be placed on to the SD card so it can be read by the Race Box at startup.

If you don't have a polar table or just prefer not to use one, then set the following

configuration option in the rp4n.cfg file like this:

USE_POLAR_TABLE = N

When this is set, the Race Box will not try to load the polar file at startup, so no polar file

is necessary on the SD card. Also, it will not be able to calculate PBS or TBS

information.

TBS and PBS are both calculated by checking the true wind speed (TWS) and your

current true wind angle (TWA), and then applying this information to your polar table. Of

course, this information varies as the wind speed and your sailing angle does.

The data in polar files also needs to be adjusted for the height of your wind transducer

above the water surface. Many people manually edit the data in their polar file, but this

is not necessary since the Race Box will compensate for transducer height. In order for

it to do this, the configuration file needs to be told the height of the transducer above the

surface of the water, in feet. The proper line in the configuration file is:

WIND_XDUCER_HEIGHT=43

If you have already adjusted your polar file to compensate for your transducer height,

then set the height to 0, like this:

WIND_XDUCER_HEIGHT=0

4.4.2 Choosing Whether TBS or PBS is Sent to the Nexus Network

The Nexus instrument system has a data field called TBS, but this field can be used

either for target boat speed or polar boat speed. The Race Box configuration file

controls what information is sent to this field. This information is then published

throughout the Nexus network and all instrument features related to TBS can be used.

For example, all of the NX2 and NXR instruments have the ability to simply present the

value of the TBS filed, in knots, as a number. Also, the NX2 Wind Instrument can trim

on TBS. When the Wind Instrument is set up to do this, it has an indicator which raises

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when you are sailing above your target speed, and lowers when you are below it.

Similarly, the Multi XL has a trim feature which will tell you what percentage you are

below or above your target speed. NXR instruments have similar features.

You can control whether it is TBS or PBS which is sent to the Nexus network by

changing a setting in the Race Box configuration file. If you wish to send PBS to the

network, ensure that the following line is in the configuration file:

TBS_DATA=PBS

If you prefer that TBS be sent to the network, then change the above line to:

TBS_DATA=TBS

Be sure you do not have both lines in the file at the same time, unless of course one of

them is commented out.

4.4.3 Displaying TBS and PBS in Other Fields

If you like, you can also cause the value of both TBS and PBS to be displayed in other

fields. The Nexus system has “custom data fields” which can display certain types of

data. These are available on the NX2 instruments and the Multi XL instruments and

some of the NXR instruments. The NXR instruments have ten “custom data fields”

which can display other information. For example, they can display information from

load cells. We can tell the Race Box to send TBS and PBS to them for display. You

won't be able to use the trim percentage or other TBS specific functions, but you will be

able to see the target speed so you can compare it to your actual speed.

To do this, set the following lines in the configuration file:

CAD=PBS

CFD=TBS

These lines will cause polar boat speed to be sent to the CAD field and target boat

speed to be sent to the CFD field. To send data to the custom fields of the NXR series:

CUSTOM0=TBS

CUSTOM1=PBS

This will cause target boat speed to be sent to custom 0 while polar boat speed is sent

to custom 1. If you wish to send this data to different custom fields, simply change the

number after the word CUSTOM. Valid numbers are from 0 to 9.

Please refer to the manuals for your NX2 or NXR instruments to learn how to make

CAD, CFD and CUSTOM0 through CUSTOM9 display.

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4.5 Set Steer Memory

You can use the Set Steer, or wind memory, feature of your Nexus server by pressing

the button connected to your Race Box. You won't need an additional button connected

directly to your server.

To set the steer memory, press the button once for about a half a second and release it.

If there is a buzzer connected to your server, you will her one short beep. The steer

memory will be updated and your steer pilot instrument will function as expected.

4.6 Man Overboard (MOB)

You can use the man overboard function of your server by pressing the button

connected to your race box. You won't need an additional button connected directly to

your server.

To trigger a man overboard (MOB) condition, do five (5) consecutive short presses of

the button. Each short press should be about half a second long. The MOB function will

be triggered and your Nexus system will behave exactly as it would if the button were

connected directly to the server.

Also, the Race Box will write a text file to the SD card. This file will contain the position

and time that the MOB function was triggered.

4.7 Start Line Tactical Assistance

The Race Box is able to provide assistance to the crew before and during the starting

sequence by providing data about the starting line and your position relative to it. Using

the Race box, you can find out:

• Starting line bias relative to the true wind direction (BIAS)

• Your distance from the starting line in boat lengths, meters or feet (BL, MTL or FTL)

• The time required to reach the line on your current course and speed (TTL)

• The time you will be late or early to the line (time to burn – TTB)

In order to get this information from the Race Box, you need to tell the Race Box where

each end of the start line is. In order to get time to burn, you'll also need to tell the Race

Box when the starting sequence began (discussed more under Timer).

Pinging the Line

In order to tell the Race Box where the start line begins and ends, we approach each

end of the line with the boat's bow and press the button. The ends can be pinged in

either order. Also, if the race committee moves either end after you have pinged the

line, you need only re-ping the end that they moved.

To ping the right hand end of the line, slowly bring your boat's bow as close to the end

mark as you can before the PRO begins screaming and throws his or her coffee at you.

When your bow is as close as it can get, do two quick presses on the button. If you do it

correctly, the server buzzer will emit two short beeps. Also, the green info light on the

Race Box will begin flashing slowly.

English RaceBox

To ping the left hand end of the line, slowly bring your boat's bow as close to the pin as

you can. When your bow is as close as it can get, do three quick presses on the button.

If you do it correctly, the server buzzer will emit three short beeps and the info light on

the Race Box will light on solid.

If you ping the left hand end of the line first, the green info light will flash rapidly, then

light solid when you pine the right hand end.

At this point, the location of both ends of the starting line, as well as its compass

bearing, have been computed and stored in the Race Box's memory. We're now ready

to start!

4.8 In Sequence Data vs Out Of Sequence Data

As mentioned earlier, the Nexus system has a number of “custom fields” into which we

can send whatever data we like. The NX2 series, including the Multi XL instruments,

offers the CAD, CFD and TBS fields. TBS is only used for speed targets, so that leaves

us with just CAD and CFD. The NXR series offers ten additional fields, called custom 0

through custom 9.

The Race Box attempts to expand options by allowing the crew to configure it to send

certain data to a particular field while in the starting sequence, and other data to that

same field both before the starting sequence has begun and after the starting sequence

is complete. For example, we might display “Time To Burn – TTB” in the CFD field for

the period of time between when we started the timer and when the gun sounds. At the

gun, the CFD field will change and display optimum apparent wind angle.

Data which is sent to any particular field during a starting sequence is referred to as “in

sequence data” while data sent to any particular field before the start timer is started or

after the timer reaches zero is referred to as “out of sequence data.”

4.9 Configuring which data is sent to which fields

As discussed earlier in the overview, the Race Box primarily accepts data from the

Nexus server, performs various calculations on this data and sends the results back to

the Nexus server to be published on the Nexus network.

With one exception, the various fields in the Nexus network accept data and only

display it. The exception is the TBS field. Instruments can display the TBS sent to them

in knots, but also have special features which can show more information about TBS,

such as the percentage your current boat speed is above or below your current TBS.

Therefore, it only makes sense to send either TBS or PBS to the Nexus TBS field.

The Classic and NX2 instruments, including the Multi XL, can accept two additional

fields, called CAD and CFD. The CAD field can display values from 0 to 359 as whole

numbers. The CFD field can accept data from ? To ?, but with decimal

portions. Because of differences in how these fields display data, its better to send

RaceBox English

some data types to CAD and others to CFD.

Because they are represented as whole numbers, the best choices of data to send to

the CAD field are:

OPT_A

OPT_T

The best choices to send to the CFD field are:

BIAS

TTB

TTL

The time fields will have a dot in the display, such as 3.40. In the case of the time fields,

this means 3 minutes and 40 seconds. In the case of an angle, such as bias, it

represents 3.40 degrees.

The NXR series instruments have the ten custom data fields, so any type of data

generated by the Race Box can be sent to any of those ten custom fields.

The Race Box is told which data to send to which field in its configuration file. Here is

an example from the config file:

CAD_IS=BL

CFD_IS=TTB

;

CAD_OS=OPT_T

CFD_OS=BIAS

The first line, CAD_IS=BL, means that the BL (boat length) data calculated by the Race

Box will be sent to the CAD field of the Nexus network while the starting sequence is in

progress. In short, CAD_IS means CAD field while in sequence. Likewise, CFD_IS

means CFD field while in sequence. Conversely, CAD_OS means CAD field while out

of sequence and CFD_OS means CFD field while out of sequence.

Therefore, before you begin the starting sequence and after the sequence ends, the

example above will cause the optimum true wind angle to be sent to the CAD field while

the start line bias will be sent to the CFD field. As soon as you trigger the start timer,

CAD will begin displaying boat lengths to line (BL) and CFD will begin displaying time to

burn (TTB).

If you prefer that no data be sent to a field, you can set it to “OFF” like this:

CFD_OS=OFF

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Nexus RACE BOX Operating instructions

Nexus RACE BOX Operating instructions

Nexus RACE BOX Operating instructions

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